IRAN: Red lights and red lines
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As a journalist in Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran, you never know what to expect. What can you get away with, and for how long? Will a move get you into trouble, jammed up in a messy dead-end, or will it be smooth sailing?
We’re talking, of course, about navigating Tehran’s tangled traffic.
I find myself constantly apologizing profusely for arriving half an hour early for an appointment, or hustling in, out of breath, an hour late.
There seems to be no golden rule about how long a trip will take. Longtime residents assure me that I should budget an hour for a certain trip from the north of Tehran to downtown, but I breeze through empty highways and get there with 45 minutes to spare.
A friend tells me it’ll take 15 minutes to get across town to his house. I curse myself for listening to him an hour later, as I stew in traffic.
What’s more, Tehran drivers must be among the most reckless in the world, waiting till the last moment to cut across three lanes of traffic to get to a highway off-ramp.
Contra-flow bus lanes don’t help, nor do the swarms of devil-may-care motorcyclists who ignore red lights and one-way street signs.
People always ask about the difficulties of practicing journalism in Iran. But just getting around town here is a nerve-fraying experience that rivals maneuvering the political intricacies of any country.
— Borzou Daragahi in Tehran